Water walker begins journey to spirit world

Tributes continue to pour in for respected elder and water advocate Josephine Mandamin following reports of her death across social media this morning.

Mandamin, who was widely acknowledged as the leader of the water walk movement, began the walks in 2003 out of concern for the health of lakes and rivers throughout Turtle Island, eventually walking the shorelines of all five Great Lakes during the Mother Earth Water Walks and logging more than 25,000 kilometres for water advocacy.

Mandamin participated in her final water walk in 2017.

On Friday, the Anishinabek Nation acknowledged its chief commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation Women’s Water Commission.

“It is a very sad day. We have lost a great advocate, teacher, and role model. She will be so deeply missed by all and will be fondly remembered for all of what she did to protect the water. Our prayers are with Josephine as she begins her journey home into the Spirit World and back to her ancestors,” said Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Glen Hare in a press release. “Our thoughts of comfort are with Josephine’s family and community as they prepare for her journey.”

Locally, Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig released a statement to honour Mandamin, who graduated from the post-secondary institution with a degree in Anishinaabemowin [Anishinaabe language].

“Josephine was presented with a prophecy from an elder within the Three Fires Midewiwin society in the year 2000 that warned that water will cost as much as gold by the year 2030,” read the statement. “For the Anishinaabe, water is associated with Mother Earth and it is the responsibility of grandmothers to lead other women in praying for and protecting the water.”

In the summer of 2018, SooToday reported that a permanent exhibit dedicated to Mandamin’s water walks could be housed in the Anishinabek Discovery Centre, which will become the new home for Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig upon the building’s completion.

Algoma University Archives has been compiling water walk memorabilia, photos and stories in order to preserve a part of Mandamin’s legacy at the new centre.

“We could be housing all the media clippings and all of those sorts of things - all of the documents for itineraries and planning and putting together the walks, so students can get a sense of how that happens and the behind-the-scenes of that,” said Mitch Case, director of student services, outreach and resources for Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig during an interview with SooToday in September 2018. “We could very well end up with a collection of Josephine’s old sneakers, you know?”

Funeral arrangements for Mandamin will take place in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, which is situated on Manitoulin Island.